Wire dereeling apparatus



Aug. 24, 1965 H. wv HOSBEIN WIRE DEREELING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June l0, 1963 Aug 24, 1965 H. W. HosBElN 3,202,380

WIRE DEREELING APPARATUS Filed June l0, 1963 5 SheebS-Sheet 2 J6 ZZ j Aug. 24, 1965 H. W. HOSBEIN WIRE DEREELING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June l0, 1963 m Il United States Patent O 3,2d28l Wild-E BEiiEELlNG APPARATUS W. Hnsoein, Fort Wayne, ind., assigner to Essen Wire Qorporation, Fort Wayne, ind., a corporation of i'lieliigan Filed June 1li, 1963, Ser. No. 286,759 9 Claims. (Cl. 242-128) This invention relates to a dereeling apparatus for wire and the like which is designed for easy removal of `one unit of the apparatus for replacing an empty reel.

One object of the invention is to provide a dereeling apparatus in which a reel-supporting device comprises a frame on which a reel may be set with the drum of the reel in vertical position and one flange of the reel resting on the frame, a rotatable dereeling flange and a stationary flange with radially extending bnistles being provided as a separable unit that may then be placed in the upper end of the reel whereupon an operative connection is eiiective between the dereeling ange and drive means mounted on the frame.

Another object is to provide a frame with a hub on which one end of the drum of the reel may be positioned, a drive element being rotatable within the hub and a tube being operatively connected therewith by means of cone sur-faces, .the upper end of the tube support-ing a dereeling flange that rotates above the upper flange of the reel when supported on the frame, and means being provided extending upwardly through the tube for supporting a stationary disc above the rotating dereeli-ng flange, the stationary disc having radially extending bristles to be successively enaged by the wire as it is dereeled and thereby keeping the wire from tangling.

Still another object is to provide the tube, the dereeling flange, the stationary dis-c and the bristles in the form of a removable unit permitting .ready replacement of the reel when emptied and at the same time disconnection of the dereeling flange from drive means therefor so that its rotation stops upon removal of the unit.

A further object is to provide means for supporting the stationary flange and bristles in the form of an extension through the tube having disengageable means at its. lower end with respect to a post extending upwardly from the frame and on which the drive element for the tube is rotatable, the construction thus being comparatively simple yet effective for suppont of the rotating dereeling ilange as `well as the stationary disc and its bristles.

Still a further object is to provide means 'for rotatably supporting the tube with respect to the reel comprising a plug that tits into the upper end of the reel, is carnied by the removable unit and is provided with bearings in which the tube rotates.

An additional object is to provide a bearing inside the tube which rotates around the stationary extension from the post thereby insuring that all parts of the apparatus are properly journaled to eliminate vibrations, wobbling and the like.

Another additional object is to provide a dereeling device which may be used individually or in banks of several such devices whereby the inner end of the wire on one reel may be .connected to the outer end of the wire on the next reel and several reels thus connected for successive dereeli-ng or the Wire from the reels without interruption in the operation of the coil win-ding machine using wire from the reels, empty reels being thus replaceable with filled reels in a continuous manner without interruption.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my dereeling apparatus, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, where in:

PEG. l is a plan view of a dereeling apparatus embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof partially in section on the line Z of FIG. 1 showing details of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a similar side elevation partly in section and on a reduce-d scale illustrating a dereeling flange unit being disassooiated from the apparatus 'for removal of an empty reel and replacement thereof by a filled reel of wire;

FdG. 4 is an end View with portions broken away showing a common support for a number of my dereeling devices;

lFIG. 5 is a front elevation thereof, and

PIG, 6 is a sectional view thereof on the line 6 6 of FlG. 4 showing a plurality of reels mounted thereon and showing diagrammatically the wire successive reels connected together.

On the accompanying drawings l have used the refer ence numerals l@ and l2 to indicate bottom and top pla-tes which together with spacer sleeves lll and tie bolts lo form a frame. Casters i8, for instance of the 'ball type, are provided on the bottom of the plate lt) for ready transport of the frame when loaded with a reel of wire from one location to another as found desirable for dereeling wire from a reel supported on the frame. FIG* 2 illustrates such a reel, the drum thereof being indicated at Ztl and the ilanges thereof at 22 and 24,

A stationary post 26 extends upwardly from the bottom plate lil and a drive element 2S is rotatable thereon, suitable bearings being provided for this purpose as shown in FIG. 2. The drive element 2S is in the for-rn of a pulley driven from a motor 3b by means of a moto-r pulley 32 and a belt 34. The drive element Z8 is thus rotated upon energization of the motor 3l?. A stationary hub 36 surrounds the drive element 23 and is secured to the top plate l2. This hub is adapted for the lower end of the reel 25;22 to be positioned thereon as illustrated with the flange 22 resting on the .plate l2.

Above the flange 2d of the reel a dereeling flange 38 is provided having a depending flange dll around the periphery of the reel flange 2li. Means is provided for rotating the dereeling ilange 38 and for also supporting it for rotation comprising a tube d2 having its upper end connected to the flange 38 as by means of a disc 44 and screws do. The ilower end of the tube i2 has a coupling sleeve d3 secured thereto and provided with a cone face Si) on its lower end interfttin-g with a complementary cone face S2 in the upper end of the drive element Z8. AccordinU-ly, when the ila-nge 38, lthe tube 42 and the coupling member 43 rest by gravity on the drive element 23, they are frictionally driven therefrom through the cone faces dii and 52.

Above the dereeling flange 3S is a stationary dise 54. Superposed on the disc 54 is a disc 56 from the peripheral edge of which bristles oi nylon or the like 58 extend in radial directions as shown in FIG. l. A handle o@ is provided for the discs 54 and 5o and means is provided for supporting these discs in a stationary manner comprising a post extension 62. The discs 54 and Se are secured to t-he upper end thereof by means of a lock nut dit and the lower end of the extension has a hex rod or the like 66 extending downwardly therefrom and its lower end removably positioned in a hex socket of a cap screw ed secured in the upper end of the post 26.

ln order to properly journal the tube 42 for rotation with respect to the reel Z-ZZJQA a plug 70 is provided for the upper end of the reel and has a bearing sleeve 72 Patented Aug. 24, 1%@5 3 in which bearings 74 and 76 for the tube 42 are provided. The tube 42 also has a bearing 7S rotatable around the extension 62 whereby the plug 70 and the bearings 74 'i6-'78 cooperate to `prevent undesirable wobble or vibration of the upper end of the tube 42 and the dereeling iiange 3S which rotated thereby.

From the construction of the parts just described Vit will be obvious that the assembly of parts 38 through 66 andl 70 through 78 may be removed as a unit (as disclosed in FIG. 3) whereby an empty reel Ztl-2244 may be removed frorn the hub 36 and a lled reel substituted therefor. At the same time, it the drive element 23 `is rotating tion, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included'within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

I. In a dereeling apparatus, a frame, a vertical post thereon, a drive element rotatable on said post, means for rotating said drive element, a hub on said frame surrounding said drive element and adapted to have one end of the drum ofa reel positioned thereon with one iiange of the reel resting on said frame, a driven tube extending upwardly from said drive element, said drive element having a driving connection with said driven tube, a dereeling flange overlying the other ange of the a plurality of the wire dereeling devices thus far described( Y is illustrated in the form of lower and upper shelves Si) and 132 connected together by means of end frames 84 and supported on abase plater85. The shelves 80 and S2 are inclined as illustrated in FIG. 4 and provided with stop anges at their lower ends so that the dereeling devices may be supported thereon in rows as illustrated. A roller 86 extends across the plurality of reels as shown in FIG. v5 so that the wire S8V from a reel may extend thereover to the coil winding machine. The inner and outer ends of the wires 8SV shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5 are connected together as at 90, so that as one reel is depleted the wire will automatically start dereeling from the next one and soon.

If desired, the rollers 86 may be rotated as by a motor 92 and suitable drive belts94 and 96; Y

Practical Operation In the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, when the motor 30 is energized the'dereeling flange 38 is rotated in the direction that the wire 884s dereeled from the reel -22-24. The rotation is preferably siightly more rapid than the wire is unreeled vfrom the reel by the coil winding machine. As the wire passes'over the depending ange 40 of the dereeling flange 3S, it will drag across the bristles 58 successively and bendthem as illustrated at 58a in FIG. l, the stiiness of the bristles serving to keep the wire from becoming tangled.

When one reelhas been depleted, the wire will start dereeling from the next reel and thereupon the empty reel can be removed by rst lifting the dereeling flange unit from the reel as shown in FIG. 3 by means of the handle 60, and the empty reel then replaced with a lled. one. When connected as Vin FIG. 5 the wire may be continuously withdrawn from the left-hand reel, the center reel and then the right-hand reel. The lower three reels are'illustrated with the first one empty which may now be replaced with a illed one and the outer end of the wire thereon connected with the inner end of the third reel so that there is no interruption in the supply of wire from the successive reels. Only three reels are illustrated on each shelf but FIGgS is broken away to indicate that the rack 808284 may be designed to accommodate any desirable'number ofwire'dereeling devices.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my dereelingv appartus without departing from `the real spirit and purpose of my invenreel and connected with said driven tube for support and rotation thereby, a stationaryrdisc above said dereeling iiangc, said post having an extension upwardly through said driven tube for supporting saidstationary disc, and radially arranged bristles supported by said stationary disc and extending beyond the peripheral edge thereof to be sequentially engaged by wire dereeled from the reel.

2. A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said drive element rotates the same at a higher rate of speed than the tangential velocity of the Wire being dereeled. Y

` 3.' A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein means isV provided for rotatably supporting said tube relative Vto the reel comprising a plug in the other end of the reel drum and having bearing means in which said tube is rotatable.

4. A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim I wherein said tuberhas a bearing therein rotatable about said extension.

' 5. A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said tube has a bearing therein rotatable about said extension. f y

6. A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said driving connection is of separable character and said extension is separable from said post whereby the assembly of tube, dereeling flange, stationary flange, bristles and extension may be removed from Vsaicrl frame and drive element for replacement of the reel.

,'7. A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said` driving connection is of separable character and said .extension isseparable from said post whereby y the assembly of tube, dereeling ange, plug and its bearing means, stationary ange, bristles and extension may be removed from said frame and drive element for replacement of the reel. v v

d. A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and a common support for a plurality of said dereeling devices, saidV common support having a roller acrossall the reels for the wire from reels on saidsupport to be successively dereeled therefrom.V p

9,'A dereeling apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein means is provided for rotating said roller.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,081,716 12/13 Boulais V 242-128 v 2,479,826 8/49 Friclcet al. 242-128 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DEREELING APPARATUS, A FRAME, A VERTICAL POST THEREON, A DRIVE ELEMENT ROTATABLE ON SAID POST, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE ELEMENT, A HUB ON SAID FRAME SURROUNDING SAID DRIVE ELEMENT AND ADAPTED TO HAVE ONE END OF THE DRUM OF A REEL POSITINED THEREON WITH ONE FLANGE OF THE REEL RESTING ON SAID FRAME, A DRIVEN TUBE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID DRIVE ELEMENT, SAID DRIVE ELEMENT HAVINGA DRIVING CONNECTION WITH SAID RIVEN TUBE, A DEREELING FLANGE OVERLYING THE OTHER FLANGE OF THEW REEL AND CONNECTED WITH SAID RIVEN TUBE FOR SUPPORT AND ROTATION THEREBY, A STATIONARY DISC ABOVE SAID DEREELING FLANGE, SAID POST HAVING AN EXTENSION UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID RIVEN TUBE FOR SUPPORTING SAID STATIONARY DISC, AND RADIALLY ARRANGED BRITSLES SUPORTED BY SAID STATIONARY DISC AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF TO BE SEQUENTIALLY ENGAGED BY WIRE DEREELED FROM THE REEL. 